Grating clamp



Oct. 8, 1963 .1. v. M GEE 3,106,271

GRATING CLAMP Filed 001;. 30. 1961 F G. l.

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JERRY V. MC GEE INVENTOR.

BY W/7ydw ATTORNEYS.

United States This invention relates to a clamp 'for securing a grating to an underlying horizontal support member. It is the primary object of the invention to provide a grating clamp which can be positioned rapidly from the top side of a grating to secure the grating to an underlying support member, l

It is a further object of the invention to construct a grating clamp of two elongated members each of which has a width less than the distance between adjacent longi tudinal bearing bars of :a grating and a length greater than the distance between adjacent lateral cross-bars, of a grating, so that each member may be placed through adjacent lateral crossbars of the grating and therefore permit the grating to be secured in place by a clamp installed from the top side of the grating.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grating clamp comprised of two elongated members which can be assembled together only when the members are at a right angle to each other and are securely connected together when the two members are longitudinally aligned.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a clamp which can be easily put into position and caused to be tightened to secure a grating to an underlying support by a tool operated from above the grating.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a. grating clamp having two resilient'elongated members brought together by a screw to clamp a grating to an underlying support, with the resiliency of the two members providing a self-locking effect on the screw.

Still another object of the invention is. to provide a simple and inexpensive grating clamp which can be quickly and easily, installed.

The above and other objects will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: V FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a grating. overlying a support member with a clamp in accordance with the invention, securing the two; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the second elongated'clamp member being shown only partially in section. 1

Referring. to the drawing-in detail, a grating, generally designated at. 10, which is desired to be securelyclamped to an underlying support 16 is constructed of a plurality of relatively closely spaced-longitudinal bearing bars 12 and more widely spacedlateralcross-bars 14. The bearing bars 12 of the grating are supported from their undersides by the horizontal member 16 which late-rally under-. lies the entire gratin-g. This support member 16 may be in the fiorm of 'anl-b'eam as partially illustrated in the atent Patented Oct. 8,, 196 3 the first and second elongated members 19 and 20 may be inserted between the longitudinal bearing bars 12 of the grating into clamping position with their ends abutting against the cross-bars 14 and support member 16 in a manner to be more fully explained.

The first elongated clamp member 19 has at one of its ends an upwardly disposed bearing surfiace 22 which, when the clamp is in a position to secure the grating, bears against the underside of one of the grating crossbars 14. "At the other end of the first elongated member 19 is an inverted U-shaped projection 24 which hooks over and is supported by another lateral cross-bar 14.

This projection need not have the exact shape as shown in' the drawing but merely must providea surface which will-bear upon the top of a cross-bar 14. Between the ends of the first elongated member 19 are two longitudinally spaced slots 26 and 28 which will serve a function which will be more clearly understood as the description progresses. v V

The second elongated. clamp member 20 is disposed below and has its main body spaced from the first member 19. However, at one end of the member 20 there is an upstanding projection 30 which is slidable in' slot 23 in the first elongated member 19. On the projection 30 there are a pair of shoulders 32 and 34 which are wider than the slot 28 and prevent the projections from falling out of the slot. The shoulders 32 and 34 are spaced apart a distance. greater than the thickness of the first elongated members 19 which permits the second member 20 to be swingable to some degree in a vertical plane relative to the first member. In other words, this projection and slot arrangement forms a transversely axial pivotal connection between the two elongated clamping members which is necessaryfor the clamp to function.

That portion of the projection. 30 which is between shoulders 32 and 34 and isdisposed within the slot 28, has. a cross sectional thickness less than the width of slot 28 thereby permitting the second elongated member 20 to beswingable in. a horizontal plane relative to the first member 19. In order to assemble thefirst and second clamp members 19 land 20 together, the second member 20 is merely positioned at a right angle to the first member and projection 30' is inserted intotheslot 28 with the shoulders 32 and34 being positioned on either side of member 19. Since the portion of the projection between the shoulders 3-2 and 34 has a thickness less than slot 28, the second member 20 may be merely swung around into alignmentwith first member 19, thereby locking the two members together.

In order to bring the two clamping members 19 and 20 into position to secure the grating 10 to the support member'16, a screw 46 is provided; The screw is inserted through the: slot 26in member 19, the slot being of a width less than the diameter of the screw head' for retaining the screw in the slot, and is threaded into a screwthreaded hole 38 in the second member 20. 7

To apply the clamp 18 to the grating 10 and underlying support member 16, the two elongatedmembers 19 and 20 are assembled by inserting projection 30 into slot 28' as explained hereinabove. Then the two asseIn-; bled members are slid between adjacent longitudinal grating bars 12 into ,a position so that U-shaped projection 24 fits on top of one cross-bar 1 4- and bearing surface 22 abuts against the underside of an adjacent cross-bar and the free end of the second elongated member having, an upwardly disposed bearing surface 36 is positioned I below support member 16. Next, screw 40 is inserted through slot 26 in the first member 19 into hole 38 in the second member. Being so assembled, the clamp is brought into securing position by merely inserting a screwdriver frorn the top: of the grating through the spaced grating bars into the screw-head slot, and by turning the screw, the second clamp member 20 is caused to be drawn upwardly toward the first clamp member 19. When the screw 40 is snugly tightened the grating will be secured to support member 16 as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the bearing surface 36 abuts the bottom of support 16, U- shaped projection 24 bears against the top of one grating cross-bar 14- and the bearing surface 22 on the end member 19 is firmly seated against the bottom of the adjacent cross-bar 14 due to the force exerted on the bottom of member 19 by projection shoulder 32.

The clamp may also be applied to a grating by assembling the entire clamp, members 19, 20, and screw 40, before inserting the clamp between the longitudinal bearing bars of the grating; or instead, it may even be more convenient to assemble the parts by placing the first element 19 into position and then connecting member 20 to it. In the latter case, it would of course be necessary that the space between adjacent grating bars be great enough to permit a person to insert his hand therethrough, which would be necessary to rotate member 20 in a horizontal plane to lock projection in slot 28 of the first elongated member.

Because the elongated clamp members 19 and 20 are preferably of a metallic material and are relatively thin, they have an inherent resiliency. Due to this property, when the screw is tightened, elongated member 20 will become slightly flexed and consequently provide a self-locking effect on the screw due to its binding against the screw threads.

It can be seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensive clarnp which permits the rapid clamping of a grating entirely from the top side thereof.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A grating clamp comprising a first elongated memher having a slot adjacent one of its ends, a second elongated member spaced below said first member having an upstanding projection at one of its ends slidable in said slot, a shoulder on said projection wider than said slot bearing against the underside of said first member, and means between said first and second members for drawing the other of their ends together including a second shoulder on said projection wider than said slot and disposed above said first member, said shoulder being spaced from said first mentioned shoulder a distance greater than the thickness of said first member.

2. A grating clamp comprising a first elongated member having a slot adjacent one of its ends, a second elongated member spaced below said first member having an upstanding projection at one of its ends slidable in said slot, a shoulder on said projection wider than said slot bearing against the underside of said first member, and means between said first and second members for drawing the other of their ends together the portion of said upstanding projection disposed within said slot has a crosssectional thickness less than the width of said slot thereby permitting said second members to be swingable relative to said first member in a horizontal plane.

3. A grating clamp comprising a first elongated member having a slot adjacent one of its ends, a second elongated member spaced below said first member having an upstanding projection at one of its ends slidable in said slot, a shoulder on said projection wider than said slot bearing against the underside of said first member, and means between said first and second members for drawing the other of their ends together including an upwardly and outwardly extending projection at its other end.

4. A grating clamp comprising a first elongated member having a slot adjacent one of its ends, a second elongated member spaced below said first member having an upstanding projection at one of its ends slidable in said slot, a shoulder on said projection wider than said slot bearing against the underside of said first member, and means between said first and second members for drawing the other of their ends together including an inverted U-shaped projection at its other end.

5. A grating clamp comprising a first elongated member having an inverted U-shaped projection at one end and two longitudinally spaced slots therein, a second elongated member spaced below said first member having an upstanding projection at one of its ends slidable in the slot in said first member adjacent its other end, said projection having a cross-sectional thickness less than the width of said slot, a pair of shoulders on said projection above and below said first member, said shoulders being spaced apart greater than the thickness of said first member, said second member having a screw-threaded hole intermediate its ends and a screw extending through the slot in said first member adjacent said one end into said threaded hole in said second member.

6. A clamp for a grating having relatively closely spaced longitudinal bearing bars and more widely spaced lateral cross-bars and a horizontal support member laterally underlying part of said grating comprising a first elongated member of a width less than the distance between adjacent longitudinal bearing bars and a length greater than the distance between adjacent lateral crossbars, one end of said first member having an upwardly disposed bearing surface for engaging the underside of a lateral cross-bar, the other end of said first member being disposed above the first mentioned end of said first member and adapted to engage the upper side of an adjacent lateral cross-bar, a second elongated member of less width than the distance between adjacent longitudinal bearing bars and a length greater than the distance between adjacent lateral cross-bars, one end of said second member having an upwardly disposed bearing surface for engaging the underside of a horizontal support member, the other end of said second member being connected to said first member for swinging movement relative thereto in a vertical plane, and an adjustable connector between said first and second members movable to draw said other end of the first member toward said one end of the second member.

7. The combination with a grating having longitudinal bearing bars and lateral cross-bars and a horizontal support member laterally underlying part of said grating, a grating clamp having a first elongated member lying between adjacent longitudinal bearing bars with one end overlying a lateral cross-bar and the other end underlying an adjacent lateral cross-bar, a second elongated member spaced below said first member, means pivotally connecting one end of said second member to said first member, the other end of said second member being positioned beneath said horizontal support member, and means between said first and second members for drawing said members together.

8. In combination with a grating having relatively closely spaced longitudinal bearing bars and more widely spaced lateral cross-bars and a longitudinal support member underlying part of said grating, a grating clamp having a first elongated member of a width less than the distance between adjacent longitudinal bearing bars and a length greater than the distance between adjacent lateral cross-bars, said first member lying between adjacent longitudinal bearing bars with one end overlying a lateral cross-bar and the other end underlying an adjacent lateral cross-bar, a second elongated member of less width than the distance between adjacent longitudinal bearing bars and a length greater than the distance between adjacent lateral cross-bars, said second elongated member being spaced below said first member, means pivotally coimeet- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Haskell Aug. 4, 1914 McCorm Apr. 2, 1935 Bates July 9, 1946 Bates Oct. 23, 1951 Renfroe Nov. 22, 1960 

1. A GRATING CLAMP COMPRISING A FIRST ELONGATED MEMBER HAVING A SLOT ADJACENT ONE OF ITS ENDS, A SECOND ELONGATED MEMBER SPACED BELOW SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING AN UPSTANDING PROJECTION AT ONE OF ITS ENDS SLIDABLE IN SAID SLOT, A SHOULDER ON SAID PROJECTION WIDER THAN SAID SLOT BEARING AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, AND MEANS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS FOR DRAWING THE OTHER OF THEIR ENDS TOGETHER INCLUDING A SECOND SHOULDER ON SAID PROJECTION WIDER THAN SAID SLOT AND DISPOSED ABOVE SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID SHOULDER BEING SPACED FROM SAID FIRST MENTIONED SHOULDER A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID FIRST MEMBER. 